SORRY, KING'S SPEECH SETS AGAIN

I know, I know, everyone with a design blog has already ohh'd and ahh'd over the King's Speech sets many months ago.  While I shall ohh and ahh (ohh, ahh), I will also note how remarkably diverse the interiors and furniture was in this film.  So many production directors get obsessed with creating a perfect time capsule of a certain period, and loose sight of the fact that nobody (even the uber wealthy) throws everything away each time a new style shows up.  Here the members of the crown moved from one historic period to the next in every palace or public building they entered, and the commoner mixed every style he could find in the same room- BRILLIANT Mr Rush.

I was able to identify interiors and furniture from pretty much every major style...baroque, rococo, neoclassical, empire, victorian revivals and art deco.  What a feast for my eyes as well as a wonderful history lesson of the world of decoration.  I am threatening to show this to my history of interiors students and make them pick out each style as we go along ;)

EXHIBITS AT THE MET THIS SUMMER

As I get ready to make my annual pilgrimage to the world center of arts and culture and well, pretty much everything, (ie NYC), I decided to plan my usual trip to the Met, and see what exhibitions are on, and which really great ones that will already be gone by the time I get there (the inevitable).  Of course the rooftop exhibitions are always a summer treat, (really just an excuse to get the most amazing view over Central Park so one can pretend one lives in a park-side penthouse, if even for just a moment).

Here is the view from the rooftop last summer:

This summer Anthony Caro is featured, an influential modern British sculptor. 

See a video about the exhibit here.

I am also very excited about the Richard Serra Drawings exhibit, which will actually still be there in late June.... as I am a real push-over for male artists working with cor-ten steel.  And in general I find artist's drawings most intriguing, often times better than the end result.

Photos courtesy of the Met website:

While I am somewhat intrigued by the Alexander McQueen exhibit, by far the most 'blockbuster'-ish exhibit on right now, I am somewhat hesitant to spend any of my precious 3 days in NY on this when I could just watch a Lady Gaga video instead (also courtesy of the Met website):

What I REALLY wanted to see is the Katrin Sigurdardottir exhibit which examines and reinterprets several French period rooms at the Met....but of course this closes on June 5th!!!  Really?  Come on.  If you are in NY, please go visit it for me....

OK, I actually cannot stand to look at these images anymore, as I am physically in pain.  This is the stuff of my dreams....creepy white modern versions of the Met French period rooms....anyone reading this that works for the Met, can't you keep this open a few more weeks?  I am sure this is the real blockbuster exhibit of the year, right?

HAPPY SPRING

It is finally spring in the Intermountain West (just a bit late and yes, it will be summer tomorrow), and I thought I would post a photo I took way back in 1999 while living in Paris and visiting Versailles.  Somehow, this just screams spring to me.  I am happy to see the bright sky these days, of course wishing Versailles was still only an hour from my apartment.  Oh well, at least it was once.  I love Paris in the spring time.....

THE LOVE OF MY DESIGN LIFE

Anyone who knows me (or has been taught by me) knows how much I love Philippe Starck as a designer.  And let me be clear here, love AS A DESIGNER!  I also think he is quite a self-centered, bizarre, overweight, ego-obsessed Frenchman. 

Need I say more here?  I think not.

I am quite confident that many of my design students however, consider him quite dated and very 90s.  But can I help that?  I went to design school in the late 90s, such things are bound to happen.  And while Starck is doing  roughly the same type of hotel and furniture design now as he did way back then, I think (and many do agree) it is still pretty cool.

Let me demonstrate:

Starck in the 90s- the iconic bubble chair:

And the 2010 Magic Hole Chair (no need to mention the creepy implications that exist with such a name):

The absolutely iconic 90s Ghost Chair inspired by a Neoclassical chair:

And the fabulous Masters Chair that just came out this year, inspired by the shapes of iconic mid-century chairs by Jacobsen, Saarinen and Eames (I am just dying to put this in a client's house!):

The (still) fab Hudson Hotel from 2000:

And the newly opened SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills:

So despite the weird outfits and poses, I think Starck is still a pretty awesome designer.  I love him just a little bit.  Anyone else?





AND THE WINNER IS...

My lovely client really wanted to open up her living room and create a fresh light space.  She was very drawn to the warmth and brightness of option 3, and ultimately we went with mostly 3, with some touches of 2 to keep it fresh.

#2:

#3:

Now before we do the 'before and after' shots, I must say there are still finishing touches to be had.  Artwork on the wall is still in progress, but will utlimately be a wonderfully unique gallery wall.  But I think the transformation even without artwork is so impressive, that I had to share now. 

So here we go...

As you can see the living area before had all dark leather and a dark metal coffee table.  Despite the light wall color and one huge window wall, the room felt dark and small. 

The coffee table did not really suit the furniture layout, and the rug was too small for the space (a very common mistake) and did not add much color-wise. 

Arrangement of the bookcases and wiring were not helping the space much either, feeling more cluttered than clean.

But these were all easy things to fix.  However, the client had grand ambitions; she sent me these inspiration images:

However, I think we were able to transform the space, bring in light and color and just plain cheer. 

We added a bright rug, switched out all throw pillows on the dark sofas and added a more suitably sized ottoman/coffee table with a white-on-white pattern:

The ottoman as a bit tricky, we really wanted this to be a light, bright element since it was so large.  Of course with a baby-soon-to-be-toddler in the house, the white ottoman was a bit of a scary thought.  We could not have leather, becuase all other furniture was leather.  Too much.  But crypton came to the rescue, and my amazing clients decided to actually make the ottoman themselves!  I must say I am so impressed, and it is virtually stain resistent due to the crypton.  And the subtle white pattern on the bolder yellow and white on the rug is so fun together:

Although the place was feeling really light and bright, we felt another accent color was required to create some more intest, and a turquois was chosen.  Touches were added to the bookcases when they were rearranged and better organized to add some more color and accent:

And we did what we could with the black wires from the TV- a simple but HUGE improvement!

And finally, we needed that great focal piece for the room, that one wow element.... so we switched out the matching dark leather chair...

And just a hint of turquois again...

So, the client tells me her life in this cute period bungalow has been greatly enhanced by these simple straight-forward changes.  The space is light, airy and fun.  It even functions with a little one in the house due to easy cleaning surfaces!  I am happy I could help and make a bit of a difference in the enjoyment of everyday life.

So final drumroll please-  here is the money shot:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Thanks again, client, for the opportunity to work on such a fun project!